The Dallas Cowboys were looking for a War Daddy and DeMarcus Lawrence is certainly playing the part. How much will the team have to pay to keep him?

At the end of the season, the Dallas Cowboys will have a decision to make about defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence’s next contract. Since the beginning of the 2017 season, the 26-year old Lawrence has recorded 20.0 total sacks. Only Arizona Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones, with 21.0 sacks, has more.

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller set the high-water mark for defensive players when he signed a six-year, $19.1 million average per year (APY) contract in 2016, when he was 27 years old.

The landscape tilted at the beginning of the 2018 season. For a day, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was the highest paid defensive player in the league after signing a six-year $22.5 million APY extension at 27-years old.

Linebacker Khalil Mack signed with the Chicago Bears for six-years at $23.5 million APY entering his age 27 season the next day. Both players have seven years including the 2018 season before they become free...